How Europe is winning its war against rabies: Within a few years, vaccination could eradicate rabies from the wild in western Europe through a combination of classic techniques and genetic engineering

FOXES foraging in the European countryside this spring have been finding a surprise awaiting them in the undergrowth: pellets of fat and fishmeal, with plastic packets hidden inside. As the fox bites into the pellet, live viruses contained in the packets flood its mouth. The viruses immunise the fox against rabies. And as the foxes in the region become immune, rabies infections cease to spread, and eventually disappear.

In the areas where it has so far been introduced, the eradication programme has been highly successful. The scientists organising the programme say that if it continues for another few years, wild rabies could be eradicated from western Europe. Even the draconian measures currently used to keep rabid animals from entering Britain may no longer be necessary.

The choice now facing those responsible for eradicating the disease is whether to continue with the use of the classic vaccine - whose active component ...

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